Dispute Over Toto's 'Africa' Plaque at Preston Burger Restaurant
Is the quadruple platinum track "Africa" by US rock band Toto linked to a Preston burger restaurant? An unverified blue plaque at the eatery suggests the band's 1982 hit was written on its premises, triggering a dispute between the restaurant owner and the Preston Historical Society.
The restaurant, named All Hopes No Promises, installed the plaque as a publicity stunt. However, Toto songwriter David Paich and manager Steven Karas have described the plaque as "completely erroneous." The Preston Historical Society (PHS), which officially endorses blue plaques in the city, attempted to have the sign removed, but restaurant owner Michael Evans stated the "banter" was never intended to "upset" the society.
"Bit of Banter" Behind the Plaque
Michael Evans explained that the faux plaque was a light-hearted promotional effort for the restaurant, which has been serving burgers in Preston for six years. He acknowledged the stunt's success, noting that a social media post about the plaque garnered nearly 500,000 views shortly after its installation last week.
"It's one of those love or hate songs.
Many years ago, I set it as my daughter's alarm ringtone but she couldn't work out how to change it, so for five years, she woke up to it.
As a business, we like to have a bit of banter [so] I just Googled 'Preston plaque' and edited it.
We get a lot of people walk past our restaurant and we want to put a smile on people's faces," he admitted.
After the plaque's installation, the PHS became aware of it and expressed concern that the restaurant had used their name and logo without permission. Patricia Harrison, Chair of the PHS, recounted an incident where one of their members attempted to remove the plaque with a screwdriver.
"Foolishly, one of our members took a screwdriver and tried to remove it," Harrison said.
The restaurant manager intervened, stating the member was trespassing on private property. Harrison expressed frustration over the incident consuming the time of the volunteer-led historical society and admitted uncertainty about possible legal actions.
Evans, meanwhile, maintains a humorous perspective on the situation.
"We had lots of people ringing up, asking whether this was true," he said, noting that the "older generations" had been debating the plaque's claim.
"We didn't think it would go like this, it's just gone boom," he added.
Legacy of Toto's 'Africa'
Released in 1982, "Africa" became Toto's biggest hit and continues to enjoy enduring popularity. The song's music video on YouTube has surpassed 440 million views. In 2022, "Africa" was included in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 best songs.
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